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David Steinberg#Career

{{Short description|Canadian comedian, actor, director, and writer (born 1942)}}

{{Other people}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2013}}

{{Infobox comedian

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}}

| name = David Steinberg

| image = David Steinberg 2009 portrait.jpg

| caption = Steinberg in 2009

| pseudonym =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|8|9|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| medium = Stand-up, television, film, books

| active = 1964–present

| genre = Observational comedy, satire

| subject = Religion, self-deprecation, everyday life

| spouse = {{plainlist|

  • {{marriage|Judy Marcione|1973|1997|reason=divorced}}
  • {{marriage|Robyn Todd
    |2005}}

}}

| domesticpartner =

| signature =

| website = [http://thedavidsteinberg.com thedavidsteinberg.com]

| footnotes =

}}

David Steinberg {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born August 9, 1942) is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and author. At the height of his popularity, during the late 1960s and mid-1970s, he was one of the best-known comics in the United States. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson more than 130 times (second only to Bob Hope in number of appearances) and served as guest host 12 times, the youngest person to guest-host. Steinberg directed several films and episodes of television situation comedies, including Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Golden Girls, and Designing Women. Steinberg also hosted the interview program Inside Comedy on the Showtime network.

Early life

Steinberg was born on August 9, 1942, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of Rabbi Yasha Steinberg (1896–1966), a strict, Romanian-born rabbi, and Ruth Steinberg ({{circa|1904}}–1989). He has three older siblings: two brothers, Hymie Steinberg (1925–1944) and Fishy Steinberg, and one sister, Tammy Lazer (née Steinberg).{{Cite web|title=David Steinberg speaks fondly of his Winnipeg roots in autobiography|url=https://www.jewishpostandnews.ca/8-features/885-david-steinberg-speaks-fondly-of-his-winnipeg-roots-in-autobiography|access-date=2022-02-12|website=www.jewishpostandnews.ca|archive-date=February 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212184458/https://www.jewishpostandnews.ca/8-features/885-david-steinberg-speaks-fondly-of-his-winnipeg-roots-in-autobiography|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|date=2021-07-10|title=Canadian king of comedy David Steinberg's insider stories fill out his new book 'Inside Comedy' |language=en-CA|work=The Toronto Star|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2021/07/10/canadian-king-of-comedy-david-steinbergs-insider-stories-fill-out-his-new-book-inside-comedy-get-an-exclusive-peek-here.html|access-date=2022-02-12|issn=0319-0781}} His older brother Hymie served during World War II and was killed in action when he was 19. David initially studied theology in Israel.{{cite web

|title = David Steinberg – Northern Stars

|url = http://northernstars.ca/actorsstu/steinberg_david_bio.html

|year = 2002

|access-date = 2010-01-12

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100612042903/http://www.northernstars.ca/actorsstu/steinberg_david_bio.html

|archive-date = June 12, 2010

|df = mdy

}}{{cite web| title=David Steinberg Biography| url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/48/David-Steinberg.html| access-date=2010-01-12}}

Later, while studying English Literature at the University of Chicago, he decided to become a comedian after seeing Lenny Bruce perform. He finished school and was discovered by one of the founders of The Second City in Chicago, which he joined in 1964. There he performed with Robert Klein, Fred Willard, Peter Boyle, and Joe Flaherty. He remained with the group for six years. In 1972, Steinberg was best man at the wedding of his friend, the gangster Crazy Joe Gallo.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BITp-iOtCPQC&pg=PA175|title=Book of David|first=David|last=Steinberg|date=June 12, 2007|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781416545569|via=Google Books}}

Career

One of Steinberg's most notorious performances was in October 1968 on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, where he gave satirical sermons. The sketch caused CBS to receive a record number of complaints, and, as a result, the network instituted a policy of providing local stations with a closed-circuit telecast of each episode ahead of time so they could choose whether or not to air it.{{cite book | publisher=Touchstone | title=Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" | isbn=978-1-4391-0116-2 | author=Bianculli, David | date=December 1, 2009 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/dangerouslyfunny00bian }} The Smothers Brothers were told by the network that they could have Steinberg on the show again on the condition that he would not repeat the sermons.{{cite web| publisher=CBSNews.com| title=David Steinberg Just Wants to Talk Comedy| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/david-steinberg-just-wants-to-talk-comedy/| date=March 11, 2007| access-date=2007-06-11}} Nevertheless, Tommy Smothers asked Steinberg to do it again, and he gave a sermon in which he said "The Old Testament scholars say that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The Gentiles, the New Testament scholars say, 'Hold it, Jews, no.' They literally grabbed the Jews by the Old Testament." This incident contributed to the cancellation of the show. The Jonah sketch was never aired by CBS.{{cite web| publisher=npr.org| title=The Book of David: Paging Mr. Steinberg| url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13749298| date=August 20, 2007| access-date=2007-09-19}}

Steinberg appeared in two Broadway flops, Little Murders and Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights, which both closed within one week in 1967 and 1968, respectively.

Steinberg was the most frequent host of the pop and rock music ABC television show, The Music Scene, 1969–1970. The show featured performances by Joe Cocker and CSN&Y. In 1972, Steinberg wrote and starred in The David Steinberg Show in the United States as a five-week summer replacement sketch comedy show.{{cite web| title=The David Steinberg Show at IMDb| website=IMDb| url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068063/| access-date=2010-01-12}} Around the same time, TV Guide labelled Steinberg "offbeat, racy, outrageous, and establishment-baiting – all of which makes him a particular favorite among the young and disenchanted."

In 1975 Steinberg hosted Noonday, a short-lived half-hour midday talk show on NBC.

In 1976, Steinberg returned to Canada to produce a second show called The David Steinberg Show. This series was a hybrid sitcom/variety show, modelled loosely on The Jack Benny Program in that the plots centred on the star (Steinberg) and his cast trying to put together another instalment of their variety show. Amongst the regular cast were future SCTV stars Joe Flaherty, John Candy, Dave Thomas, and Martin Short. SCTV's Andrea Martin also appeared on the show, but not as a regular. SCTV premiered the same week as The David Steinberg Show, and ran for six seasons; The David Steinberg Show lasted only one season.

Steinberg performed some notable stand-up comedy during the 1960s and '70s. He released four comedy LPs, including The Incredible Shrinking God (LP MCA 73013, 1968), which contains ten of his comedic sermons and mini-sermons recorded live during his stand-up routine at Second City. He also hosted the 1977 Juno Awards show.{{cite magazine|author=Martin Melhuish|title=Juno 1977 |magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ayMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76|date=23 April 1977|pages=76–|issn=0006-2510}} He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2003.{{cite web |title=Canada's Walk of Fame: David Steinberg: actor, comedian, director |url=http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductee/david-steinberg |year=2003 |access-date=2010-01-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203041308/http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductee/david-steinberg |archive-date=February 3, 2010 |df=mdy }}

More recently (2005–2007), Steinberg hosted Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, an informal, interview-style show in which he talks with famous comedians and comic actors, for two seasons on TV Land in the U.S.{{cite web|title=Sit Down with David Steinberg |url=http://www.tvland.com/originals/sitdown/season2/ |access-date=2007-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070529232052/http://www.tvland.com/originals/sitdown/season2/ |archive-date=May 29, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }} The first season featured Mike Myers, Larry David, Jon Lovitz, Martin Short, Bob Newhart, and George Lopez. The second season featured Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Roseanne Barr, Jon Stewart, Garry Shandling and Ray Romano. The program was filmed before an audience at UCLA.{{cite web| title=Sit Down Comedy With David Steinberg (2007)| url=http://thedavidsteinberg.com/news.htm| year=2007| access-date=2010-01-12| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110115135920/http://thedavidsteinberg.com/news.htm| archive-date=January 15, 2011| df=mdy-all}}

His first book, The Book of David ({{ISBN|0743272323}}), was published in June 2007 by Simon & Schuster.

In 2010, he directed and produced the Canadian cable comedy series Living in Your Car.[http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2010/06/c8018.html "HBO Canada presents Living in Your Car, one man's karmic fall from the high life to the highway"]. Canada NewsWire, April 6, 2010.

Personal life

Steinberg has been married twice. He married Judy Marcione in 1973 and they had two daughters. They divorced in 1997 after 24 years of marriage.{{Cite web |url=http://judysteinberg.com/content/author.asp |title=About Judy |access-date=November 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321014816/http://judysteinberg.com/content/author.asp |archive-date=March 21, 2011 |url-status=dead }} Steinberg married Robyn Todd in 2005.{{Cite web|url=http://robyntodd.net/book_01.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515160030/http://robyntodd.net/book_01.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 15, 2009|title=Robyn Todd|date=May 15, 2009|access-date=January 23, 2020}}

Discography

  • The Incredible Shrinking God (UNI LP, UNI-73013, 1968)
  • Disguised As A Normal Person (Elektra Records LP, EKS-74065, 1970).
  • Booga! Booga! (Columbia LP, 1974)
  • Goodbye to the '70s (Columbia LP, PC 33399, 1975)

Awards

Steinberg has received five Emmy Award nominations, winning two as one of the writers of Academy Awards programs in 1991 and 1992. He received a CableACE Award in 1992 for his stand-up comedy Cats, Cops and Stuff. He has been nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award (for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series) twice: first in 1991 for the Seinfeld episode, The Tape, and again in 1996 for the Mad About You episode, The Finale: Parts II and III, and has been nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award (2000) and a Gemini (2001), as well.[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825731/awards Awards for David Steinberg]. IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-07-07. His parody of the novel Ragtime won him a Playboy Humor Award. In 2003, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

In December 2016, Steinberg was named a Member of the Order of Canada.[http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/order-canada-newest-appointees-2016-150-1.3916634 "Order of Canada's newest appointees include Paralympian, Supreme Court judge and astrophysicist"]. CBC News, December 30, 2016.

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
width="33" | YearTitlewidth=65 | Directorwidth=65 | Writerwidth=65 | Producerwidth=65 | Actorwidth=65 | RoleNotes
1967

| Fearless Frank

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|

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| {{yes}}

| The Rat

|

1969

| data-sort-value="Lost Man, The" | The Lost Man

|

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| {{yes}}

| Photographer

|

1978

| data-sort-value="End, The" | The End

|

|

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| {{yes}}

| Marty Lieberman

|

1979

| Something Short of Paradise

|

|

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| {{yes}}

| Harris Sloane

|

1980

| Nothing Personal

|

|

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| {{yes}}

| Talk Show Host

|

1981

| Paternity

| {{yes}}

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1983

| Going Berserk

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

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1996

| Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy

|

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| {{yes}}

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1997

| data-sort-value="Wrong Guy, The" | The Wrong Guy

| {{yes}}

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| {{yes}}

| Outpatient in Neck Brace

|

1999

| Judgment Day: The Ellie Nesler Story

|

|

| {{yes}}

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2000

| data-sort-value="Extreme Adventures of Super Dave, The" | The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave

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| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

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2003

| This Thing of Ours

|

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| {{yes}}

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2005

| data-sort-value="Greatest Game Ever Played, The" | The Greatest Game Ever Played

|

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| {{yes}}

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2013

| When Jews Were Funny

|

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| Himself

| Documentary

2015

| Being Canadian

|

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|

| Himself

| Documentary

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
width="33" | YearTitlewidth=65 | Directorwidth=65 | Writerwidth=65 | Producerwidth=65 | Actorwidth=65 | RoleNotes
1968–1969

| data-sort-value="Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The" | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

|

| {{yes}}

|

| {{yes}}

| Himself

|

1968–1992

| data-sort-value="Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The" | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

|

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| Himself / Guest host

|

1969

| NBC Experiment in Television

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

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| Episode: "This Is Sholom Aleichem"

1969–1970

| data-sort-value="Music Scene, The" | The Music Scene

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

| Host

| 14 episodes

1970

| data-sort-value="Return of the Smothers Brothers, The" | The Return of the Smothers Brothers

|

| {{yes}}

|

| {{yes}}

| Himself

| Television special

1971

| data-sort-value="Odd Couple, The" | The Odd Couple

|

|

|

| {{yes}}

| Himself

| Episode: "The Odd Couple Meet Their Host"

1972,1976–1977

| data-sort-value="David Steinberg Show, The" | The David Steinberg Show

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

| Host

| 26 episodes

1973

| ABC's Wide World of Entertainment

|

|

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| {{yes}}

| Paul

| Episode: "Night Train to Terror"

1975

| data-sort-value="Smothers Brothers Show, The" | The Smothers Brothers Show

|

|

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| {{yes}}

| Himself

| Episode: "A Boarding House Is Not A Home"

1985

| data-sort-value="Twilight Zone, The" | The Twilight Zone

| {{yes}}

|

|

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| Segment: "The Uncle Devil Show"

1986

| data-sort-value="Young Comedians All-Star Reunion, The" | The Young Comedians All-Star Reunion

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| Television special

1986

| Robin Williams: Live at the Met

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| Stand-up special

1986

| Tall Tales & Legends

| {{yes}}

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|

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| Episode: "Casey at the Bat"

1986

| Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| Television special

1986

| data-sort-value="Ellen Burstyn Show, The" | The Ellen Burstyn Show

| {{yes}}

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| Episode: "Reading Between the Lines"

1986

| data-sort-value="Golden Girls, The" | The Golden Girls

| {{yes}}

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| Episode: "Big Daddy's Little Lady"

1986–1987

| One Big Family

| {{yes}}

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| 5 episodes

1986–1990

| Newhart

| {{yes}}

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| 15 episodes

1987

| data-sort-value="Popcorn Kid, The" | The Popcorn Kid

| {{yes}}

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| 2 episodes

1987

| Duet

| {{yes}}

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| 3 episodes

1987–1991

| Designing Women

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

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1988

| Eisenhower and Lutz

| {{yes}}

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| Episode: "Bud Junior, Junior: Part 1"

1988

| Family Man

| {{yes}}

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| 5 episodes

1988

| CBS Summer Playhouse

| {{yes}}

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|

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| Episode: "Baby on Board"

1989

| Billy Crystal: Midnight Train To Moscow

|

|

| {{yes}}

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| Television special

1989

| I, Martin Short, Goes Home

|

|

| {{yes}}

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| Television special

1988

| Annie McGuire

| {{yes}}

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| 6 episodes

1989

| It's Garry Shandling's Show

| {{yes}}

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| 2 episodes

1990

| data-sort-value="Earth Day Special, The" | The Earth Day Special

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

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| Television special

1990

| data-sort-value="Fanelli Boys, The" | The Fanelli Boys

| {{yes}}

|

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| Episode: "Pursued"

1990

| Get a Life

| {{yes}}

|

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| Episode: "The Sitting"

1990–1991

| Good Grief

|

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| {{yes}}

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| 13 episodes

1990–1991

| Evening Shade

| {{yes}}

|

| {{yes}}

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| 8 episodes

1991

| 63rd Academy Awards

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| {{yes}}

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| Television special

1991–1998

| Seinfeld

| {{yes}}

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| 3 episodes

1992

| 64th Academy Awards

|

| {{yes}}

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| Television special

1993

| Rick Reynolds: Only the Truth Is Funny

| {{yes}}

|

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| Television special

1993

| 65th Academy Awards

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| Television special

1993

| It Had to Be You

| {{yes}}

|

| {{yes}}

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| 4 episodes

1993

| Daddy Dearest

| {{yes}}

|

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| 2 episodes

1994–1999

| Mad About You

| {{yes}}

|

|

| {{yes}}

| Director / Bad Eulogizer

| 50 episodes

1995–1996

| data-sort-value="Parent 'Hood, The" | The Parent 'Hood

| {{yes}}

|

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| 5 episodes

1996

| Carver's Gate

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| Television film

1997

| Lost on Earth

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| 6 episodes

1997

| 69th Academy Awards

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

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| Television special

1997

| Ink

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| Episode: "Logan's Run"

1998

| Friends

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

|

| Episode: "The One with Phoebe's Uterus"

1998

| 70th Academy Awards

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

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| Television special

1998

| Living in Captivity

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| 2 episodes

1999

| data-sort-value="Wonderful World of Disney, The" | The Wonderful World of Disney

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

|

| Episode: "Switching Goals"

2000

| 72nd Academy Awards

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

| Television special

2000–2001

| Big Sound

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

| Gabe Moss

| Also creator

2000–2001

| Even Stevens

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| 2 episodes

2000–2017

| Curb Your Enthusiasm

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| 8 episodes

2002

| Robin Williams: Live on Broadway

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

| Stand-up special

2004

| Good Girls Don't

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| Episode: "The Big O"

2004

| 76th Academy Awards

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

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| Television special

2005

| Wild Card

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

|

| Episode: "A Whisper from Zoe's Sister"

2005

| data-sort-value="Comeback, The" | The Comeback

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| 2 episodes

2005–2007

| Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg

|

| {{yes}}

| {{yes}}

|

| Host

| Also creator

2006

| Carlos Mencia: No Strings Attached

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| Stand-up special

2006

| Campus Ladies

| {{yes}}

|

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| 3 episodes

2006

| Sons & Daughters

| {{yes}}

|

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| 2 episodes

2006

| Help Me Help You

| {{yes}}

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| Episode: "Perseverance"

2007

| Jim Norton: Monster Rain

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| Stand-up special

2008

| Weeds

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

|

| Episode: "The Whole Blah Damn Thing"

2008

| Down and Dirty with Jim Norton

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| 4 episodes

2008

| Little Britain USA

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| 6 episodes

2009

| Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction

|

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| Stand-up special

2010

| Living in Your Car

| {{yes}}

|

| {{yes}}

|

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| 4 episodes

2011

| Norm Macdonald: Me Doing Stand-Up

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| Stand-up special

2011

| Single White Spenny

| {{yes}}

|

|

|

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| Episode: "Circumcision"

2012

| 84th Academy Awards

|

| {{yes}}

|

|

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| Television special

2013

| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

|

|

|

| {{yes}}

| Party Guest

| Episode: "Wonderland Story"

2012–2015

| Inside Comedy

| {{yes}}

|

| {{yes}}

|

| Host

| 36 episodes

2015

| data-sort-value="Comedians, The" | The Comedians

|

|

|

| {{yes}}

| Billy's Agent (voice)

| Episode: "Go for Gad"

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{IMDb name|0825731|David Steinberg}}
  • {{IMDb title|id=0068063|title=The David Steinberg Show}}
  • {{IBDB name}}
  • {{iobdb name|26858}}
  • {{National Public Radio|id=13749298}}
  • [http://thedavidsteinberg.com Official David Steinberg site]
  • [http://www.cbc.ca/wordsatlarge/features/feature.php?storyId=488 Interview, online from CBC Words at Large (audio)]

{{David Steinberg}}

{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1990s}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steinberg, David}}

Category:1942 births

Category:20th-century Canadian male actors

Category:21st-century Canadian male actors

Category:Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States

Category:Canadian male film actors

Category:Canadian male television actors

Category:Canadian male voice actors

Category:Canadian male comedians

Category:Canadian people of Romanian-Jewish descent

Category:Canadian sketch comedians

Category:Canadian stand-up comedians

Category:Canadian television directors

Category:Canadian television producers

Category:Columbia Records artists

Category:Elektra Records artists

Category:Jewish Canadian male actors

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Winnipeg

Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners

Category:Uni Records artists

Category:University of Chicago alumni

Category:Jewish Canadian comedians

Category:Members of the Order of Canada

Category:20th-century Canadian comedians

Category:21st-century Canadian comedians

Category:Comedians from Winnipeg